Reflection on 2 Peter 3:13-15a
This is a reflection on 2 Peter 3:13-15a given on February 9, 2019.
As I reflected on today’s reading, one word jumped out at me:
peace. Peace is a topic that is quite
relevant today. Look at the world around
us. There are so many divisions among
us: conservative versus progressive, rural versus urban, rich versus poor. The news is filled with stories of how we
disagree with each other. And consider
social media. There is so much anger, self-righteousness,
intolerance, and trolling. From every direction it seems the message of
the world is that conflict is the norm.
But what does Jesus teach us? In John 14:27 Jesus says “Peace I leave with
you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not
let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” The
peace Jesus gives us is not the peace of the world, for the things of the world
can never provide us peace. Worldly
things can never satisfy that longing in our hearts that only God can fill. Only by seeking the peace that Jesus provides
can our hearts be satisfied.
But how do we find this peace? It begins with prayer. We need to take the time to quiet ourselves and
allow ourselves to be in God’s presence.
We need to not only pour out our hearts to God, but to listen as well to
what God is saying to us. We need to
reflect on how God works in our lives to guide us in building God’s Kingdom on
earth. We need to place all our trust in
God that God will guide us and provide for our needs.
The fruits of this trust and peace is
joy. By resting in God’s peace, we’ll be
able to find joy in our lives even in the midst of difficulty. This joy and peace radiates from us and can
be a light to others. When others see you
at peace despite all the division and conflict in the world, they will be drawn
to this peace and ask you how this is.
If so, take the opportunity tell them that the source is faith in
Jesus. Sow a seed that may grow and lead
someone to God through your witness. What
better way to guide others to Christ than by offering God’s peace?
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